Pray for our nation
The “I AM’s” of Jesus
When
Moses asked God who should he say was sending him to Pharaoh’s court, God
answered, “I AM WHO I AM” (Exodus 3:14) identifying Himself as the fully
existent, eternal One. So when the Jewish skeptics asked Jesus to identify
Himself and He declared, “Before Abraham was, I am,” they knew precisely Who He
was claiming to be, and picked up stones to kill Him.
Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to
you, before Abraham was, I am.”
John 8:58
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Jesus
also said of Himself, “I am the bread of life” (John 6:35), “I am the light of
the world” (John 8:12), “I am the door” (John 10:9), “I am the good shepherd”
(John 10:11), “I am the resurrection and the life” (John 11:25), “I am the way,
and the truth, and the life” (John 14:6), and “I am the true vine” (John 15:1).
As Americans reject belief systems of any kind – and often seem to be engaged
in an all-out war on Christianity – do you hold fast, as the old hymn says, to
the “faith of our fathers, living still?” If you have never examined God’s
claims on your life through Jesus Christ, won’t you consider that today? And
for all who have, intercede for America’s leaders to find the “I AM” during
this Easter season.
P.G. - Your Prayer
Team writing staff
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Adoption
Stalemate
Russian ban
on American adoptions continues unabated
by Diann Noles
“Where are Mommy and Daddy? Why haven’t they come back to take me home?”
These are the thoughts that haunt scores of Russian children belonging to
the approximately 230 families who were in the process of adopting them
when Russian president Vladimir Putin signed a ban on American adoptions in
January 2013.
The ban is widely regarded as retaliation against the United States’
Magnitski Act which placed economic sanctions against 18 Russian law
enforcement officials for human rights violations. It not only affected
those Americans who were in the process of adopting, but more importantly
the most vulnerable…the children.
Over thirty families have filed appeals with the European Court of Human
Rights, contending that the rights of the children they were adopting have
been trampled on by the ban. However, the courts move slowly, and some of
these families have lost contact with the children they had grown to love.
It is estimated that over half of those who were to have been adopted by
Americans have now been placed with Russian families.
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Tom Wheeler, Chairman, Federal Communications Commission
Emergency responders could more easily locate people who call 911 from
their cellphones while indoors under changes the Federal Communications
Commission is considering. The FCC is moving forward with a location
accuracy rule it voted on last month that would help 911 operators track
cellphone calls inside homes and offices.
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Hal Rogers, United States Representative for Kentucky
The Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee told the Food and
Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner that the Agency’s approval of the
powerful painkiller Zohydro will prove deadly. Representative Hal Rogers of
Kentucky said he is “perplexed” at the FDA’s approval of the drug over the
objections of the Agency’s own advisory panel.
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General Philip M. Breedlove, USAF, Commander, U.S. European Command
The top general at NATO, U.S. Air Force General Philip Breedlove said
the world shouldn’t rest easy once the dust settles over Crimea — that
Russia may have more land in its annexation sights, including nearby
Moldova.
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Judge A. Raymond Randolph, U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District
of Columbia
At least two judges on the three-judge panel of the U.S. District Court
of Appeals for the District of Columbia seemed skeptical of the Obama
Administration’s position that it can give ObamaCare subsidies to Americans
regardless of what kind of exchange they are in. They signaled that the
plain language of the law works against President Obama and his legal time.
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Craft Store
Coercion
White House
hubris and Hobby Lobby
by Jim Ray
What could be worse than receiving the news that your son has been shot in
the head by the government? The family of Kaveh Alipour knows the answer to
that question. The 19-year-old boy was caught in the crossfire in downtown
Tehran during a 2009 protest. Family and neighbors say he was just trying
to get home from class, but when his father arrived to retrieve his son’s
body, he was dealt another sickening blow. Authorities demanded he pay a
“bullet fee” of $3,000 to reimburse Iranian security forces for the cost of
the bullet used to kill his son.
Last week, the United States Supreme Court heard arguments in the case of Sebelius
v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc. It’s one of many lawsuits spawned by the
Affordable Care Act (ACA) but this one is notable because the Obama
Administration has staked out an ideological position that mirrors that of
the ayatollahs. The President’s message is this: Regardless of your views
on abortion, the government is going to make you pay for them.
Hobby Lobby’s owners have deeply held religious beliefs concerning the
sanctity of life. But the ACA and its enforcer, the Department of Health
and Human Services (HHS), have established regulations requiring employers
to provide insurance coverage of contraceptive drugs and devices that end
human life after conception. Fines for failing to obey the ACA could
cost Hobby Lobby up to $1.3 million per day. The Administration position is
that only individuals—not companies—can be exempted from the law on the
basis of religious conscience.
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A Cardinal
Red Cape
Stanford
denies pro-traditional marriage group funds
by By Louie Christensen
Last month Stanford University denied funding to a group called The
Stanford Anscombe Society (SAS). The group was requesting funds for an
event they were planning to have on the university’s campus to discuss the
values of marriage. Why did Stanford withhold funding from SAS? Because the
student council was worried the group would promote hate speech towards
homosexuals and gay marriage.
According to SAS’s website: “Our aim is to help university students and
young adults to promote the values of marriage, family and sexual integrity
to the broader popular culture. Featuring speakers at the forefront of this
effort, the conference will allow students to network with other
individuals who are willing to engage in intellectual and civil discourse
about the issues of marriage, family, and sexual integrity.”
SAS was denied $5,600 by Stanford’s student council, despite the fact that
SAS does not claim any political or religious affiliations. Why did the
student council deny the funding?
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“The debate over repealing this law is over. The Affordable Care Act is
here to stay. …As messy as it’s been sometimes, as contentious as it has
been sometimes, it is progress,” President Obama announced in the
Rose Garden.
A sweeping new UN study on the effects of climate change has created a
diplomatic challenge for President Obama as the U.S. is expected to
provide $20-30 billion of the World Bank’s fund to assist poor nations in
making changes.
Pray for
President Obama and his team of advisers as they work on foreign and
domestic legacy agendas.
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The Senate voted 61-48 to end debate Wednesday on a measure that would
restore federal benefits for the long-term unemployed, making final passage
nearly certain this week. Action in the House appears unlikely, however.
Several Senators, including Kelly Ayotte, John McCain and Lindsay
Graham have urged President Obama to bring back the Bush-era Eastern
European missile defense system to “punish” Russian President Vladimir
Putin.
Pray about
the actions needed to be taken by both the Senate and House to keep America
moving forward.
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The Supreme Court ruled that donors should not be limited on how
many candidates they can contribute to during an election, although the
Justices did leave in place the maximum donation that can be made to a
single candidate.
A federal appeals court has upheld Texas’ tough new abortion restrictions
that require abortion-practice doctors to have admitting privileges at a
nearby hospital. Planned Parenthood has vowed to take the case to the high
court.
Pray for
wisdom for the nation’s judges and Supreme Court Justices.
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THE WARS
There were no
U.S. combat casualties in Afghanistan in the month of March – only the
third month in over 12 years of war in which there were none, and the first
time since 2002 there were no U.S. combat-related deaths anywhere.
A suicide bomber killed six policemen after detonating his explosive vest
at the gates of the Interior Ministtry headquarters in Kabul, penetrating
nearly to the heart of the Afghan security establishment.
Pray for
God’s continued protection for America’s military forces in Afghanistan and
around the world.
TERRORISM
An aviation
industry group is creating a task force to make recommendations for
continuously tracking commercial airliners, while the search for Malaysian
MH370 goes on without any debris finds in the Indian Ocean.
Lebanon’s army has stepped up operations in the northern city of Tripoli to
try to halt clashes linked to Syria’s civil war. Troops in armored
personnel carriers have rolled into the city setting up checkpoints and
conducting raids.
Pray that
searchers will be able to discern what happened to the Malaysian airliner,
and for Lebanon’s people.
THE ECONOMY
The nation’s
manufacturing sector picked up modestly in March after a stretch of winter
weariness, a sign the economy is on slightly steadier footing as the second
quarter gets under way.
The Commerce Department reported that U.S. consumer spending increased in
February but a dip in consumer confidence offered confirmation that
economic growth had slowed during the first quarter. Some blame the
weather.
Pray that the
American economy would continue to show improvement, and for the millions
still unemployed.
ISRAEL AND THE MIDDLE EAST
Defying the
United States and Israel, the Palestinian leadership formally submitted
applications Wednesday to join 15 international agencies, leaving the
troubled Middle East talks led by Secretary Kerry on the verge of
breakdown.
There is a growing potential for security cooperation between Israel and
its Arab neighbors to tackle common regional challenges such as Iran’s
nuclear ambitions, Syria’s civil war, and Egypt’s ongoing chaotic state.
Pray about
the many volatile situations existing in the Middle East, and for God’s
protection over Israel.
HEALTH CARE
“With the
remarkable surge in enrollment, 7,041,000 people [enrolled] before the
midnight deadline,” reported Wiite House Press Secretary Jay Carney,
adding, “we passed everyone’s expectations.”
Louisiana’s Governor /Bobby Jindahl announced a plan Wednesday to
repeal and replace ObamaCare, laying out a 26-page report that concludes
that change must be made in the private sector, and saying a void still
exists “out there.”
Pray about
the ongoing angst in some parts of society over the Affordable Care Act,
its costs and effectiveness.
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Evangelical
Latinos
A rising
force in midterm elections
by Bill Noles
Jr.
The growing
number of evangelical Latinos—or Evangélicos—may be the rising force in
midterm elections and their votes could decide who is elected in 2014. In
2004, the Latino evangelical vote was carried by President George W. Bush
and in 2008 a majority voted for President Obama.
Latino evangelicals are one of the fastest growing segments of America’s
churchgoing millions. According to the Pew Forum on Religion and Public
Life. More than two-thirds of the 52-million-plus Latinos in the United
States are Catholic; by 2030 that percentage could be closer to half, and
many are joining evangelical Protestant ranks.
While it is difficult to track the numbers of the groundswell of these new
Protestants—they often meet in storefronts or living rooms, and language
barriers complicate the census process—one thing that’s sure is that their
numbers are increasing rapidly.
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DWTS
Testimony
“My
Christianity is Not Going to Take a Back Seat”
Before taking
the stage on Tuesday night last week, Candace Cameron Bure explained that
one of her dilemmas of performing on Dancing with the Stars was figuring
out how to participate in the show known for its sexy costumes and sultry
moves and yet stay true to her faith.
"I‘m a Christian," Bure said in footage showing her and partner
Mark Ballas preparing for the upcoming week. "My life revolves around
my relationship with Jesus Christ so with the overall tone of the dance or
the costumes, it‘s not going to take a backseat."
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All prayer requests are made
directly from our Presidential Prayer Leader.
We ask you all to pray for our leaders as the scripture says.
1
Timothy 2:1-3 (KJV)
1 I exhort therefore,
that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of
thanks, be made for all men;
2 For kings, and for all that are
in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and
honesty.
3 For this is good and acceptable
in the sight of God our Saviour;
Our weekly bible study began March 4, 2014
Join us, by clicking on the link below.
Churches, Bible Study groups, etc., that would
like Evangelist Waters to speak at your church, bible study, conference,
women’s ministry, special program, etc.
Please contact Minister Waters on her website listed below, on the “Speaking
Engagements Page”.
Contact
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